Katharine Anne Ussher (born 18 March 1971) is a British economist and former Labour Party politician who is now Managing Director of Tooley Street Research. She is also a member of the Financial Services Consumer Panel, a member of TheCityUK's Independent Economists' Panel, and has associate arrangements with a number of London-based think tanks.[1]

Her period in office also saw a review of the policy towards co-operatives and credit unions, to give them greater commercial freedom and ability to expand. She also developed the policy leading to the Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Act 2008 that redistributes unclaimed banking assets to community use, and the Savings Gateway Act 2009 that provides financial incentives to poorer people to save.

On 17 June 2009, Ussher resigned her ministerial position, citing a desire to "prevent embarrassment to the government" after allegations that she changed the designation of her "main" home for capital gains tax purposes to reduce her tax bill.[9] She also announced she would step down in the forthcoming election, citing family reasons, rather than the fresh expenses revelations.[10]

In her resignation letter, Ussher said that she had done nothing wrong,[11] but four years later in an article on her blog she said she had nevertheless voluntarily paid the £3,420 in question to HM Revenue and Customs, stating that "Public servants should always be at pains to ensure that they are not only compliant with the letter of the law but also with the spirit of it, and I did not focus on that."[12]

In May 2010, after leaving Parliament, Ussher became the new Director of Demos until 2012. She then became a research fellow of the Smith Institute,[14] an associate at the Centre for London, a member of TheCityUK's Independent Economists' Panel, and a co founder of Labour in the City.